Dave interrupted his voice tight. “Do they have Margaret?”
“Yes! She came to Frederick to size things up because the protesters have been getting louder and more active. Anyway, as we walked to the demonstration, several burly guys jumped out of a white van and shoved the three of us in the back. They didn’t tie Shelby or me up. They weren’t thinking too clearly or they would have realized we could shift. We transitioned into our wolves and when they opened the back, we jumped out and attacked them. But then, one fired off a shot and we ran… We wanted to help Margaret, but…”
Well, that changed things. Since they had jumped out of the van as wolves, there were eyewitnesses now that could confirm positively we had been changed into werewolves. I had to wonder what the government would do to try and cover this story up.
I could hear Shelby sobbing in the background. “I am so sorry Lisa. Thank God you and Shelby got away. But poor Margaret, does Homeland Security know?”
“Yes, yes. They know,” Lisa said. “I just got off the phone with Richard Dawes.”
Richard Dawes was one of the chief officers working on our case and I didn’t trust him. He was the one who told Caleb that the government would educate the people about werewolves—but instead the government was trying to keep us a secret.
“I am feeling sick to my stomach,” Lisa said concern laced in her voice. “I wasn’t a big fan of Margaret Redson but I am worried about her. Anyway, I have a massive headache. I am going to go lay down. Shelby is spending the night here. Could you guys let Todd know what’s going on?”
After we hung up, Dave and I called Richard Dawes. He explained that Homeland Security was looking for Margaret and he was confident they would locate her soon and find out who was responsible. Despite his reassurances, I was not feeling confident. Then we called Todd and arranged to meet up with him.
“Let’s go for a run, Dave. I just have to get clear my head!” With my sore ankle and school starting again, it had been a while since I’d had a chance to let my wolf out.
“What about your ankle?”
“I’ll go slow—promise. If I don’t get a run in, I think I will go nuts!”
“I gotcha babe, let’s go.” Dave grabbed the keys to his old car and we headed out the door. The area surrounding the University was very populated, so if we ran during the day we headed for the wooded areas in smaller, surrounding communities. If we ran at Maryland, we only did so at night on the golf course. The golf course was lined with a variety of different species of trees but there were no houses, which gave us the privacy we needed for a good, late night run. It was gorgeous and I loved that it was a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary because of the balance it struck between being friendly to the environment and serving as a golf course for the community to use.
As we drove up University Boulevard to the golf course, I shook my head. Night or day, it was a dangerous stretch of road. There were always a number of people running across the street despite the traffic. Today was no exception, as several men and women made a run for the other side to get to the bus stop or visit businesses without waiting for the crosswalk signal.
We exited at the golf course, parked discreetly, and shucked off our clothes. I could feel the built up tensions of the past few days coming to a head, but I knew in minutes I would be able to release them and I couldn’t wait.
Dave transitioned and I took a moment to look at him. I loved him as both man and wolf, and admired the lush salt and pepper fur that wrapped around his firm, muscular frame.
“Aaaarrrroooo,” he growled, careful to keep his bark down. He shook his head in the direction of the greens and darted off. I quickly transitioned and followed him.
It was great to work up a sweat in such a beautiful environment. The 150 acres were lush, boasting a wide variety of animal and plant life. I was so happy I could enjoy it with my wolf’s night vision. As we ran, I tried to put everything behind me. This was my time to work off the stress and forget my worries.
A light drizzle was forming and it felt good on my fur as I ran. My ankle still hurt from when I had fallen near the Slice of the Pie pizzeria, so I kept to a steady gait.
Dave slowed down and waited for me to catch up. He lifted his head in the direction of the evening sky and I followed his gaze. The moon was full and luminous; so lovely and peaceful. I wanted to frolic in the night forever, but I knew we had to get back. My initial draft report for my writing class was due and I had to finish it.